wwstechnologyfandomcom-20200214-history
Optical Drive 2018-19 B
The Optical Drive by Elliot Bryla Beginning in the early 1900s, Floppy Discs had been the main devices used to transfer data, until the Optical Drive (OD) was invented. The reason for this transition was due to the fact that, not only were new devices such as ODs more compatible with newer technology than the Floppy Disk, but they could also store more information. The cycle appears to be repeating once more, however, as even the OD is becoming more and more rare due to the drastic size decrease in computers. Computers and phones continue to become slimmer and more portable, leaving little room for technology as large as ODs in most cases. For more information regarding the reduction in OD use, visit https://www.lifewire.com/death-of-the-computer-optical-drive-832403 Regardless of how slim many computers are becoming, certain models still contain ODs, and if not, an optical drive can often be plugged into a computer as shown below. Even though the OD was a primary substitute for the Floppy Disk, it has begun to be replaced itself today. Although ODs are slowly being replaced, they too continue to become slimmer and slimmer along with other technological advancements. The picture on the left is an example of a modern OD while the right shows an older version. In order to install an OD, holes drilled in the sides are used to attach it to the drive bay located in the computer case. In order to then connect it to the Motherboard 2018-19 B, a cable is used, located at the rear. In regards to mobile ODs, such as the one in the top left picture, it is connected simply through a USB port. Alternative, slimmer devices such as the SSD and HDD contain large forms of storage. Although they do not obtain the portable ability a disc such as a CD or DVD does, they are used in all computers, opposed to ODs which are now only built in some. Storage devices that are built into computers such as these two are used more frequently than ODs because of how much more storage they contain. CDs for example often only hold a few gigabits. The OD is a key component of the computer in that without it, software found on discs could not be installed. Although this is an important task the OD has, its main function is to read data from optical discs as well as inscribe data onto optical discs (DVDs, CDs, and Blu-rays). In order to read and write data, ODs use a laser, in this case described as an “electromagnetic wave with a very specific wavelength within or near the visible light spectrum,” by study.com. Electromagnetic waves are measured in nanometers (nm) in regards to discs. The wavelength when regarding CDs for example is 780nm, while the wavelength when using Blu-ray is 405nm. Wavelengths of 780nm would be categorized as in the infrared range (red range). The electromagnetic spectrum can be located below, or for more information on electromagnetic wavelengths visit http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/answer.php.id=70&cat=light On the right is an example of an Optical Drive with two main labels: where the laser is located and where the disc is mounted (or the rotational device). Due to the fact that most ODs are able to accommodate different types of discs, they often contain multiple lasers with different measurements of nanometers. Along with lasers, each OD contains a mechanism that is used to rotate inserted discs. Depending on where the laser is reading or inscribing at a certain moment, the rotational mechanism will go at a faster or slower pace. For example, when the laser is towards the center of the disc, the disc must rotate faster than when the laser is towards the perimeter of the disc. The speed at which a disc rotates is measured in RPMs (Rotations Per Minute). When reading and writing data the RPMs being used can be much slower than when the OD is dealing with discs such as movies, music, etc. This is the case because discs involving movies and music are intended to be played at a certain speed, while the speed data is read or written is irrelevant to the operator. For more information regarding the Optical Drive, visit study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-an-optical-drive-definition-types-function.html (video included) Sources www.lifewire.com/what-is-an-optical-disc-drive-2618157 study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-an-optical-drive-definition-types-function.html www.techopedia.com/definition/5308/optical-drive https://mycyberuniverse.com/electronics/vneshniy-diskovod-iz-konteynera-pod-vi.html https://www.imore.com/best-cddvd-drives-mac https://www.lifewire.com/death-of-the-computer-optical-drive-832403 http://hubblesite.org/reference_desk/faq/answer.php.id=70&cat=light